The invention relates to tumbling apparatus, and more particularly to a tumbling apparatus having a vibratory generating device which causes the housing of the tumbling apparatus to move in an elliptical path.
Tumbling apparatus are known in the art. Various examples of known tumbling apparatus are shown in the following U.S. Patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,157,004 issued on Nov. 17, 1964 to A. Muusschoot is directed to a vibrating burnishing machine which has a frame resiliently mounted on springs or air cushions a floor or base, and a container having an arcuate bottom having an axle or trunions extending from opposite end walls mounted in bearings attached to the frame. A vibration generator device is mounted to the container for generating a linear vibratory force inclined to the horizontal along an axis passing interiorly of the container through the trunions to vibrate the container in a straight path.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,068 issued on Jan. 15, 1971 to H. G. VanFossen is directed to a vibrator construction for the surface treatment of articles which includes an elongated horizontal container for media and articles. The container is resiliently supported on a base member by springs. A vibratory generating device is mounted to the housing and includes two parallel shafts located to opposite lateral sides of the housing at about the same plane as the center of gravity of the housing holding the media and articles. Eccentric weights are connected to the shafts. The eccentric weights on the two shafts are rotated in the same direction and impart a vibrational motion to all points within the container which is orbital and of the same amplitude and direction as the eccentric weights.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,812,625 issued on May 28, 1974 to Wayne L. Olson is directed to a vibratory rock polisher having a base and a cylindrical container for the media and rocks mounted on the base by spring straps secured to the base at both ends. A U-shaped container receiving member is attached to the string straps between the ends of the spring straps, and a vibrator is attached to the U-shaped container receiving member. The container is removably received in the receiving member and is vibrated in a vertical rocking motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,555 issued on Sep. 14, 1971 to Gerald Cowper is directed to a vibratory conveyor having a horizontal cylindrical member with elongated troughs secured to the outside thereof along which troughs material is conveyed. The cylindrical member is supported above a base on coil springs. The conveyor also includes two vibrator motors with eccentric attached to the drive shaft of the motor. The vibratory motors are driven in opposite directions. One of the vibrator motors are mounted to the top of the horizontal cylindrical member and the other vibrator motor is mounted to the underside of the cylindrical member directly beneath the top vibrator motor. The vibrator motors are oriented with the axes of the drive shafts at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical member in horizontal planes so as to produce a helical movement imparted to the cylindrical member along the longitudinal axes of the cylindrical member.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,243 issued on Sep. 28, 1971 to A. K. Ferraro is directed to a vibratory finishing machine of the continuous flow type includes a horizontal elongated trough for containing workpieces and media supported on a base by helical springs. Two mechanical vibrators are rigidly attached to and suspended beneath the horizontal trough. Each vibrator includes a shaft and eccentric weight. The two mechanical vibrators are oriented with their shafts in end-to-end relationship and with their shafts coupled together so that they are driven in phase. The vibrators impart a spiral orbital motion or toroidal movement to the trough in the longitudinal direction of the trough but at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the trough.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,769,758 issued on Jun. 28, 1971 to Joseph McDonald is directed to a vibratory stone polisher having a horizontal cylindrical barrel for containing the stones and media. The barrel is supported in a cradle bracket which is supported by a resilient leaf spring attached to one side of the cradle bracket. The vibratory stone polisher further includes a pivotal arm which is vibrated in a vertical plane by an electro-magnetic coil. The distal end of the pivotal arm is attached to the barrel cradle bracket to the opposite side thereof from the leaf spring. The barrel is thusly moved in an arcuate path in a vertical plane centered at the attachment of the cradle bracket to the leaf spring.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,499,692 issued on Feb. 19, 1985 to Gunther Balz is directed to a dual motion vibratory finishing machine. The machine has a horizontal semi-cylindrical housing formed by two concavely facing halves attached together by a resilient connector for containing media and workpieces. The housing is attached at its bottom side to a horizontal base plate which is supported over a stand by coil springs. A first plate extends between the housing and horizontal base plate to one lateral side of the housing, and a second plate extends between the housing and horizontal base plate to the opposite lateral side of the housing. A first vibratory motor is mounted to the first plate and a second vibratory motor is mounted to the second plate. The first vibratory motor is operated to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction to impart a clockwise orbital motion to the media in the trough adjacent the first motor, and the second motor so that the motions of the two bodies of media impinge upon each other in the center area of the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,507 issued on Dec. 1, 1987 to Albert Musschoot is directed to a tumbling apparatus which includes a horizontal cylindrical container for containing workpieces and media. The container is carried on a frame is resiliently supported on a foundation by, for example, coil springs. A vibratory generator device having a motor with a double-ended drive shaft and eccentric weights mounted on each end of the double-ended drive shaft is mounted to one lateral side of the container with the double-ended drive shaft substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container so as to produce a linear forces along a linear path passing exteriorly of the container displaced not only from the central axis of the container but also from the center of gravity of the container, the linear path of the linear vibratory forces passing on the side of the center of gravity removed from the central axes to cause points on the curved surface of the container to rotate along an arcuate path basically segments of circles, not conforming to the curvature of the curved material supporting surface of the container, and which segments of circles all have a common center of rotation located at a fixed position displaced from the central axis and from the center of gravity on the other side of the central axis from the center of gravity. The common center of rotation of the circle segments is at fixed virtually point location during the operation of the tumbling apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,747 issued on Jul. 9, 1985 is directed to a vibratory apparatus for treating goods or workpieces which includes a generally horizontal cylindrical container for containing workpieces and media. The container is above a foundation by coil springs. Vibration generators are mounted to one lateral side of the container so as to produce a resultant linear force passing interiorly of the container displaced not only from the central axis of the container but also from the center of gravity of the container, the linear path of the resultant linear force passing on the side of the center of gravity removed from the central axis. Accordingly, a resulting action is created by the vibrating rotational movements imparted to the container result in a revolving motion of the media and goods being treated whereby the goods, and therefore, also the media, are exposed to higher vertical acceleraton in the upper zone than in the lower zone of the container and, accordingly, the resultant linear force effective on the container, and therefore, the media and goods, has a lower angular inclination relative to the horizontal in the lower zone of the container than in the upper zone or the container.